Anne de Villeméjane (France/US)

In Conversation with Dr. Barbara Stehlé

 Reception June 27, 6-8 pm

On view until July 27, 2024

Anne de Villeméjane in conversation with Dr. Barbara Stehlé, Summer 2024

Anne De Villeméjane is a French Sculptor based in New York. Villeméjane‘s work owes to the modernist tradition of Giacometti and Germaine Richier, and the ancient art of Etruscan bronze. Divinities and Fusion are two works featuring a couple. They represent two principles, male and female, associated with ancestral divinities and the world we live in.  Each is independent and yet complementary. They can exist side by side or turn into one.

Villeméjane’s figures are usually female. It is rare that she includes both genders. But with cardboard, it is the couple that she wanted to investigate.

 Villeméjane’s work is the result of experiments with unusual materials. She repurposes elements of various origins to include in her sculpture’s structure and skin. Materiality nurtures the expressivity of her art. Some of her favorites are metal grids, washers, nails, and cardboards. I have talked to her about her process and interest, what resides at the core of her creativity.

BS: What are the particular qualities you appreciate about working with paper?

AdV: Working with paper offers a unique set of qualities that I particularly appreciate as a sculptor. Paper’s texture and the ability to layer it, give a depth and dimensionality that add richness to the artwork. For instance, in my Fusion sculpture, the long vertical lines of the corrugated shipping cardboard contribute to the sculpture’s feeling of elevation, enhancing its overall impact.

Another advantage of working with paper is evident in my Divinities sculpture. Created directly with wax and cardboard, it allowed for a direct cast without the need for an original silicone mold. This streamlined process not only saves time but also maintains the integrity and spontaneity of the original design.

I like the contrast between the implicit modernity of corrugated cardboard and the primitive quality of the Divinities sculpture. This juxtaposition enhances the overall effect, blending contemporary materials with timeless, elemental themes.

BS: The imprints created from cardboard are metamorphosed by the casting process from paper to metal. This is the essence of casting. Can you speak about this transformation?

AdV: I thrive on using raw construction or recycled materials to produce artworks that contrast with a refined, almost jewelry-like quality.

When the cardboard sculpture is cast in metal, every detail is immortalized, creating a juxtaposition between the fragility of the original material and the enduring strength of the final form.

BS: Could you speak about your collaboration with foundries?

I absolutely love my days spent at the foundries. Foundries are like a work of art, and a great source of inspiration for me. Being trained in the foundry techniques, I always make my own waxes. It is specifically critical, as surface markings are emblematic of my work and if I do not want to loose their definition, I need to re-imprint them at that stage. I also work on the finishing or do my own patinas.

The importance of working with the best foundries is crucial. The level of their craftsmanship, from details in the waxwork to perfecting the finishing stage, makes all the difference in the world in the quality of the cast.

The relationship of an artist with its foundry is one of trust and creative collaboration as the foundries often have an input, offering the structural and technical solutions the artist needs to reach her goal.

Unfortunately, with contemporary trends favoring new materials over bronze, many foundries struggle financially and close their doors. It is a sad thing to see those masters who excelled at their own art, give up their dream.

BS: Would you agree that materials are metaphorical in your work?

AdV: The accumulation of materials used, symbolizes the complexity of humanity, and more specifically, the feminine mind. The more you look at the sculpture, the more you see it with greater intimacy. I like to invite your gaze into a textural journey. The repetitive patterns have hypnotic effects.

Despite the industrial nature of the materials I used, they always convey softness, in accordance with the femininity of the piece. When I use a nail, I do not use the pointy, aggressive, part of it, but rather its smooth, welcoming side.

BS: However fragile the expression is, the architecture of the piece seems to affirm the resilience of the figure in your work.

AdV: Aren’t women in general fragile and soft in appearance but very strong in the end? The sculptures express fragility, paradoxically the materials give the appearance of strength.

As a welder, I usually build a structure, add materials, cement, metallic threads or mesh, and then start a deconstructive process. I tend to choose materials at the opposite end of what I want to express thematically. The work is not meant to create contradictions per se, but to address the complexity of things: Something as strong as cement can express fragility.

BS: Could you share with us thoughts about light exploration as a sculptor?

AdV: I favor the complexity of a texture, which also offers complex light reflections, with catching ridges and hollows. Light and shadows play with the work, create those half tones that I favor. The surface of the sculpture becomes the equivalent of a painting canvas. I am looking to enhance the contrast between the shine of a metal mesh and the quiet dullness of cement.

My bronze patinas are never dark. It helps the viewer to explore the fine details of the sculpture. The dramatic effect of the sculpture’s shadow functions like a projection. It appropriates the space around them. The shadow completes the sculpture and redefines it.

BS: What does expression in sculpture mean to you and where does it reside?

AdV: If poetry is a form of expression in sculpture, I would like to think that it applies to my work, with all the melancholic range of emotions involved.

My figures are quietly expressive. Their expression resides in the subtlety of a gesture, the finesse of a mark, a feminine figure closing her eyes, in a quiet introspection, another looking at a distance, lost in her thoughts.

BS: How do you think of your sculptures formally?

AdV: I am interested in repetition and the fractional aspect of the piece. I am looking for a hypnotic effect. Like in music, repetition pleases the human mind. The rhythm of the piece is important to me. I work on the complexity of their lines, deliberately not smooth, in order to attract the viewer, so that he looks closer and enter their private space

Many of my sculptures have a verticality that defies gravity. Often their legs are so thin, the body weight tends to challenge their balance. I have to walk a very thin line between the gracile aspect of the piece, and its stability. Their production necessitates a confrontation with the reality of physical equilibrium.

As each sculpture is created, it manifests its own aura, and their presence extends beyond their own space. To respect their personality I have to be very careful when gathering them together in the same space. Creating a group is a matter of putting the right personalities together, in the right setting. 

About Artist

Anne de Villeméjane, an established Franco-American sculptor and painter, was born in Paris and now resides in New York. Her ethereal figures explore both fragility and strength, capturing the expression of human nature, transcending the simple portraiture to explore feminine values and inner life.

Anne’s adventurous spirit drives her to experiment with diverse raw materials, including bronze, crystal, cement, metal, plaster, acrylic, and resin, creating intricate and textural works of art. After relocating from London to Boston in 1999, she dedicated herself to becoming a professional artist. She honed her skills at several prestigious institutions, including the Massachusetts College of Art, the Museum School of Boston, Harvard College, and the de Cordova Museum.

Her talent has led to international collaborations with various galleries. In 2014, she was commissioned to create the Audience Award for the New York Film Festival “In French with English Subtitles.” By 2019, Anne had been co-opted as a member of the National League of American Pen Women.

In 2021, Anne was invited to exhibit her work at the renowned Zürcher Gallery in NoHo, where her metal and concrete sculptures were featured in The New York Times. That same year, her work at the Modern Art Foundry in Queens, NY, was showcased on the TV5Monde French TV Channel.

Barbara Stehle, Ph.D. is an art historian and independent curator. She worked at the Pompidou Center in Paris before moving to the US. Stehle has given a Tedx talk about “Architecture as Human Narrative” and writes about Art, Architecture and Women’s contribution to the art historical field. She is the author of many catalog and monograph essays as well as academic and international press articles. She teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her exhibitions were reviewed in the New York Times and Art Forum amongst other publications.